GUWAHATI: Assam will not extend the benefits of state-sponsored schemes to the beneficiaries if they do not take both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are making vaccination mandatory. If someone is not vaccinated with both doses, then s/he will be deprived of the benefits of all state government schemes,” Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said.
“We will check the vaccination status of people while rolling out the benefits of schemes to them. This will be enforced from next month,” he said.
The minister also said that the government had set a goal to reach a vaccination target of three crores. According to the last count, Assam has a population of 3.29 crore.
Till Monday, altogether 2,72,94,413 people have been vaccinated. Of them, 73,62,507 received both doses. Currently, the state has 2,535 active cases of Covid.
Munindra Nath Ngatey, who is the Director of Assam’s Health Services, told this newspaper that there was still vaccine hesitancy among a section of the people.
“Our worry is if these people do not get vaccinated early, they might infect others,” Ngatey said.
He also said that an estimated 85% of the adults had received the first dose. A section of the people missed the second dose, he added.